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A review by looseleafellie
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
5.0
I'm kind of a sucker for retellings of all stripes, but Arthurian legend retellings are one of my especial favorites. So when I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it.
To my mind, Legendborn is a MASTERCLASS in pacing. It's over 500 pages long (159,000 words according to Kobo), but I devoured it in the space of eight hours because every plot point was perfectly engineered to keep me turning pages. I can't say I've read many 500+ page YA fantasies that actually needed all those words, but Tracy Deonn used every inch of space on the page to STAB ME IN THE FEELS. Seriously, ma'am, well played!
The magic system in this book is super cool -- the Legendborn are a secret society who fight demon creatures to keep the world safe. They're led by the descendants of King Arthur and his knights, who are known as Scions. In times of especially bad trouble, each Scion in order of prestige gets "awakened," which means they get imbued with the spirit and powers of their ancestor knight. If things get bad enough that Arthur's Scion is awakened, then we get Camlann, which is basically the apocalypse.
There are several lesser-ranked members of the Legendborn, like Squires, which is the rank our main character Bree has to earn in order to get the information she needs. My point, though, is that the whole system is heavily based on people's ancestry -- which is pretty cool since you get to meet the descendants of characters from Arthurian legend.
However, since Bree is a Black person in America whose ancestors were enslaved, she can't trace her ancestry back very far before the records stop. This led to some really interesting themes about how history in America has a white western slant, and how a lot of prestigious institutions systemically exclude marginalized people.
Plus, it culminates in some MIND-BOGGLING twists toward the end, which I really can't talk about cause spoilers. Just go read it -- I promise you'll be gobsmacked.
If you love ensemble casts, then boy is this a book you should check out! Bree is a great protagonist and I loved rooting for her -- she's super tough and has a strong emotional arc that I couldn't help but get sucked into. I also loved Nick, the Scion of Arthur, who I would describe as a golden retriever boy because he's basically a lovable puppy in human form.
But I suspect that a lot of people's fan favorite is Selwyn, a Depressive Demon Nightmare Boy(tm) who eventually learns to trust people and be more open. We stan a brooding king!
Long story short, if you love mythology and want something with a unique spin on well-loved tropes, this book is definitely for you! The characters rock, the magic system is awesome, and it's one of the best-paced books I've ever read in my life <3
To my mind, Legendborn is a MASTERCLASS in pacing. It's over 500 pages long (159,000 words according to Kobo), but I devoured it in the space of eight hours because every plot point was perfectly engineered to keep me turning pages. I can't say I've read many 500+ page YA fantasies that actually needed all those words, but Tracy Deonn used every inch of space on the page to STAB ME IN THE FEELS. Seriously, ma'am, well played!
The magic system in this book is super cool -- the Legendborn are a secret society who fight demon creatures to keep the world safe. They're led by the descendants of King Arthur and his knights, who are known as Scions. In times of especially bad trouble, each Scion in order of prestige gets "awakened," which means they get imbued with the spirit and powers of their ancestor knight. If things get bad enough that Arthur's Scion is awakened, then we get Camlann, which is basically the apocalypse.
There are several lesser-ranked members of the Legendborn, like Squires, which is the rank our main character Bree has to earn in order to get the information she needs. My point, though, is that the whole system is heavily based on people's ancestry -- which is pretty cool since you get to meet the descendants of characters from Arthurian legend.
However, since Bree is a Black person in America whose ancestors were enslaved, she can't trace her ancestry back very far before the records stop. This led to some really interesting themes about how history in America has a white western slant, and how a lot of prestigious institutions systemically exclude marginalized people.
Plus, it culminates in some MIND-BOGGLING twists toward the end, which I really can't talk about cause spoilers. Just go read it -- I promise you'll be gobsmacked.
If you love ensemble casts, then boy is this a book you should check out! Bree is a great protagonist and I loved rooting for her -- she's super tough and has a strong emotional arc that I couldn't help but get sucked into. I also loved Nick, the Scion of Arthur, who I would describe as a golden retriever boy because he's basically a lovable puppy in human form.
But I suspect that a lot of people's fan favorite is Selwyn, a Depressive Demon Nightmare Boy(tm) who eventually learns to trust people and be more open. We stan a brooding king!
Long story short, if you love mythology and want something with a unique spin on well-loved tropes, this book is definitely for you! The characters rock, the magic system is awesome, and it's one of the best-paced books I've ever read in my life <3